Reversible door closer



April 20, 1 954 Filed Jan. 30, 1950 F'lG.l.

R- M. CONKLIN ETAL REVERSIBLE DOOR CLOSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.ROBERT M. CONKLIN ARTHUR SCHARF.

April 20, 1954 R. M. CONKLIN ET AL REVERSIBLE DOOR CLOSER 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Jan. 50, 1950 mm MM R C mws N C R m .u N ITN A E B 0 R A oRNEY.

April 20, 1954 R. M. CONKLIN ETAL 75,577

REVERSIBLE DOOR CLOSER Filed Jan. 30, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F|G 4. 56 5|2s 24 23 52 1 s9 6 l I 6| lla INVENTOR. ROBERT M.CONKLIN ARTHUR SCHARP'E ATTORNEY:

Patented Apr. 20, 1954 REVERSIBLE DOOR CLOSER Robert M. Conklin'andArthurScharf, Columbus, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, .toSchlage Lock Company, San Francisco, Calif -a corporation-of California.

Application January 30, 1950, Serial No. 141,222

3 Claims.

This invention relates to 'a door closer that can be utilized foreither'right'or left hand doors and particularly relates to a doorcloser having external means to enable the door closer to beI utilizedfor either right or left handdoors without the necessity of changing theoperating mechanism inside the case.

In order to make one model of door closer suitable for both right andleft hand doors it.

spring; to move the-piston to the opposite end of its stroke, to invertthe spring; and then appropriately to reassemble and adjust the closer.It is desirableto provide a door closer capable of use on either rightorleft hand doors with a minimum change of mechanism in a minimum time-andwithout making adjustments employing special tools or requiring trainedmechanics.

It is therefore an object of this inventionto provide an externalarrangement for a door closer to enable 'thecloser to be easilyapplicable to'right or left hand doors.

It is another object of this invention" to pro vide a door closer forright or left 'hand doors usable without internal disassembly of thecloser.

It is a furtherobject of .thisinvention to provide adapting means,external of the casing of a door closer, to enable :the employment ofthe closer on right 'orleft hand doors.

Other objects and advantages of this invention are attained in theembodiment of the invention described in the description andshown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevational View ofthe door closer, and

Figure 2 is a top-planviewof the'door closer showing it mounted foroperation on-a door, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of thecloser to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of part of the closer to the same scale asFigure'a'the section being along the'line i l of Figure 3 and certainfasteners being omitted, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of part ofthe closer along the line 44 of"Figure '3 and showing certain fasteners in one alternative position,and

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the closer similar to Figure 3, butshowing the fasteners in another alternative position, and

Figure '7 is a sectional view of part of the closer along the line 1-1of Figure 6.

The present invention makes it possible to obtain right and left handoperation of a door closer without any internal changes. The type ofdoor closer to which the invention is especially applicable comprisesfour major elements in addition to the linkage between the closer andthe door. They are a central drive shaft, a power spring, a dampingsystem and an external case. If the external-case of the closer ismounted for rotation in a bearing fixed on the door, the case then mayrotate on its central axis and with respect to the central drive shaft.By

alternatively fixing the central drive shaft to the door ,and attachingthe closer arm to the freely rotatable case, or fixing the case to thedoor and attaching the closer arm to the freely rotatable case, orfixing the case to the door and attaching the closer armto the freelyrotatable central shaft either left orright hand operation can beobtained with only a simple external rearrangement of elements. Therelative motion of the interior parts remains the same. The arrangementthat permits the closer arm to turn clockwise or counterclockwiserequires no change in the operation of the power spring and the dampingsystem.

For righthan-d door operation the case is fixed with respect to thedoorand the closer arm is engaged to the central drive shaft. Under thiscondition opening of the door causes counterclockwise rotation of thecloser arm and winds the power spring. Release of the door permits thepower spring to move'the door toward closed position, this motion beingcontrolled by the damping system usually involving fluid flow through anorifice. For left hand door operation the closer arm is fastened to thecase and the central drive shaft is fixed with respect to the door.Opening of the door causes clockwise rotation of the closer arm butwinds the spring in the same direction as before. Upon release, thesame'damping action as before results.

In the presentiy illustrated embodiment, the door closer includes a topbracket'plate provided with horizontal arms 2 having screws 3 therein toenable the door closer to be readily attached either to a door '4 :or toa door frame 5 and is pierced to form a mounting'l. Machine screws 8 atits lower end secure the top bracket plate to a bottom bracket plate 9also having a bearing II in which a hub l2 depending from the doorcloser case 13 can rotate. A case 13 includes a cover plate I4 removablymounted thereon. A vertically disposed central hollow shaft I6 isjournalled at its lower end within the hub l2 of the case l3 and at itsupper end passes through a bushing H disposed in the cover plate i l andin a hub I8 welded to the top bracket plate E. An arm l9 surrounds thehub I8 above the plate I and is held in axial position by a snap ring2|. A bridge 22 rides on the hub 18 and is retained by a snap ring 23.The bridge has central lugs 24 entering a slot 26 in the end of theshaft !6 and so turns with the shaft. A toggle arm 28 is pivotallyconnected to the arm 19 and the door casing 5 in the usual way.

The interior of the closer may be of any standard construction butpreferably is of the kind disclosed and described in detail in ourco-pending application entitled Door Closer With Constant Flow Orifice,filed February 1, 1950, with Serial No. 141,821, now Patent No.2,629,127, dated February 24, 1953.

Within the case 13 is a spring 29 secured to the shaft l6 by a set screw3| engaging a notch in the side of the shaft. The spring collar has agroove 32 to receive the inturned end of a coil spring 33. The other endof the spring 33 hooks against an adjusting ring 35, mounted to rotatewithin the case [3 and providing means for winding up the spring. A pin38 with a bevelled end projects through the case into one of severalholes in the adjusting ring. An external spring leaf 39 presses the pininto position to lock the spring 33 but yields in a winding direction toprovide a ratchet. The spring tension can be released by lifting theleaf 39.

Below the spring collar and surrounding the shaft is a screw plate 4|engaging threads on the inside of the casing and seating on a gasket 42to close a hydraulic reservoir 43. A filler plug M is provided for thepurpose of filling the chamber below with hydraulic fluid. An ring 55 isdisposed in a circumferential groove in the hub of the screw plate andbears against the shaft It to prevent leakage of fluid out of thereservoir 43. Below and spaced from the screw plate and seated in thecasing is a seal plate 45, and

below the seal plate, a vane hub 4'! is attached to the lower portion ofthe main shaft 16. The vane rotates in a chamber 49 defined by the sealplate and the lower portion of the case 13.

An appropriate abutment and hydraulic passages are provided to establisha variable chamber into which liquid flows freely during door openingand from which liquid flow is restricted during door closing to providea damping system for regulating the rate at which the unwinding spring33 can close the door.

To operate the closer, either the case I3 is anchored to the top bracketplate I and the shaft is is fastened to the arm 19, or the case I3 isfastened to the arm l9 and the shaft Hi is secured to the top bracketplate 4. To permit this external alternative, the bridge 22 is providedwith an inner pair of counterbored holes and 52 adapted in one rotatedposition of the bridge and of the hub it to align with a pair ofrecesses 53 and 54 in the hub. Additionally, the bridge 22 is furnishedwith an outer pair of counterbored holes 55 and 5! adapted in onerotated position of the bridge and of the hub 4 l8 to align with a pairof recesses 58 and 59 in the arm. All of the holes and the recesses areof the same size. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the top bracketplate I is pierced by a hole 6| comparable to the holes 56 and 5'! inalignment in one position of the parts with a recess 62 in the coverplate 14 and the case I3, the recess 62 being comparable to the recesses58 and 59. A lug 63 projecting from the arm I9 is pierced by a hole 64like the hole BI and, in one position of the parts, is in alignment witha recess 66 like the recess 62 and formed in a block 61 held byfasteners 53 on the cover plate I4 of the case It.

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the case I3 and the bracket plate I arejoined by a screw 16 in the hole BI and the recess 62 while the bridge22, secured to the shaft [6, is connected to the arm 19 by screws TI andi3 passing through the holes and 51 into the recesses 58 and 59. Noother fastenings are utilized. When the screws H and it are removed andare inserted in holes 5: and 52 in the bridge to engage recesses 53 and5 1 in the hub I8 and when the screw 76 is removed from the hole 5! andis put into the hole 64 in the arm and the recess 66 in the block 61,for the opposite hand operation, the arm is held to the case and bothrotate as shown in Figure 6 relative to the shaft which is held to thebracket or door frame. No matter which way the door operates, therelative motion between the case and the central shaft is the same.

In summary the closer provides a simple reversal to fit right and lefthand doors by a simple relocation of the three screws on the top of thecloser from one set of holes to another set of holes without anydisassembly of the closer itself. All that is necessary to accomplishreversal is to interchange the connections between the arm, shaft, case,and the mounting plate which holds the closer on the door. In general animproved and simplified reversible door closer has been provided.

We claim:

1. A reversible door closer comprising a bracket plate adapted to besecured to a mounting; a case rotatably mounted in said bracket plate; ashaft rotatably mounted in said case and in said bracket plate; meansfor turning said shaft in cluding a spring and a damping system withinsaid case and fastened to said case and to said shaft; an arm rotatablymounted on said bracket plate; means on said arm, said bracket plate andsaid case for receiving a coupling fastener; a first coupling fasteneradapted to be received in said means on said arm and said case, andalternatively to be received in said means on said bracket plate andsaid case; other means on said bracket plate, said shaft and said armfor receiving a coupling fastener; and a second coupling fasteneradapted to be received in said other means on said shaft and on saidbracket plate, and alternatively in said other means on said shaft andsaid arm.

2. In a door closer, a bracket plate; a case rotatable in said plate; ashaft rotatable in said case; an arm pivoted on said bracket plate;external coupling means movable from a first position operativelyconnecting said arm to said bracket plate, and said case to said shaftinto a second position operatively connecting said arm to said shaft andsaid bracket plate to said case; and means on said bracket plate, saidcase, said shaft and said arm for receiving the said coupling means insaid first and said second positions.

3. In a door closer for rightor left-hand operation, the combination ofa bracket plate and hub assembly; a case rotatably bearing in saidassembly; a shaft rotatably bearing in said case; an arm rotatablybearing in said assembly; a bridge fastened to said shaft; first andsecond fasteners adapted to occupy either of two positions; in oneposition said first fastener operatively engaging and connecting saidbridge and said arm, and said second fastener operatively engaging andconnecting said assembly and said case; and in the other position, saidfirst fastener operatively engaging and connecting said bridge and saidassembly and said second fastener operatively engaging and connectingsaid arm and said case; and means on said bridge, said arm,

5 said assembly and said case for receiving said first and secondfasteners in said two positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS mNumber Name Date 1,803,258 Kalthoff Apr. 28, 1931 2,226,257 Potter Dec.24, 1940 2,537,059 Kalthoff- Jan. 9, 1951

